Paul and Barnabas Part Ways - Acts 15:36-41
Notes
Transcript
The purpose
The purpose
Verse 36
“after some days” - there is no definitive answer to how long they lingered in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord
it had been somewhere close to a year since they returned from their first journey, and Paul was eager to revisit the churches they had planted in the various cities of Cyprus and Asia
Paul truly had a pastor’s heart - he longed to visit the people he had brought the Gospel to, had baptized, ministered to, taught, and lived with for two years during his travels. He wanted to check on them and make sure they were doing ok, and perhaps more importantly, were still being faithful to the Lord
Verse 37
Barnabas, a man known for his gentle and encouraging spirit, was no less eager to embark on such a journey
but he insisted on bringing his nephew, John Mark, along with them again
Mark had set out with them on their first journey, traveling along with them through Cyprus and all the way to Pamphylia, from where he suddenly abandoned the journey and returned home to Jerusalem
he believed and insisted on giving Mark a second chance
Verse 38
but Paul was adamantly against taking Mark
Mark could not be trusted, in Paul’s eyes
it was not good to take someone along who could abandon them again
although Paul was loving and shepherding, he could not overlook the lack of trustworthiness in Mark
consider what it says in Proverbs 25:19 “Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.”
it may seem harsh to call Mark “treacherous,” but the truth remains that he turned his back on the mission, regardless of the reason
one might say that Barnabas’ judgment was clouded because of his familial relationship with John Mark, but another could argue that because of this association with him, he knew Mark better than anyone and knew his true character
one lapse in judgment is not enough to condemn a person
God’s grace is sufficient for all things, even for moral failures!
Verse 39
“the contention was so sharp between them” - this is rarely viewed as a good thing when anyone has a sharp disagreement, especially among Christians and doubly so among respected leaders and apostles
sometimes the situation cannot be avoided
it may even be necessary, because even the apostles were imperfect, fallible men who at times battled the flesh
here we have two men who have already done so much for the cause of Christ
as James pointed out at the Jerusalem Council, they had hazarded their lives for the cause of Jesus Christ
they had taken the Gospel to places no missionary had ever gone
they were responsible for the Gospel being preached to the Gentiles
they were ordained by the Holy Spirit and the Antiochian Church
yet, they could not agree on this issue, so much so that they split apart
Barnabas took Mark and they went to Cyprus, the home country of Barnabas (and perhaps Mark) and visited the church they had established there
Paul took Silas and together they took off to Syria and Cilicia, encouraging and strengthening the churches there
Who was wrong in this situation?
You may have heard the expression “Well, both of us can’t be wrong.” Or perhaps the inverse, “both of us can’t be right.”
but what if that’s not true?
Paul was right to doubt John Mark. His track record, albeit a short one, was not good. He folded under the pressure of the very first mission, and hightailed it back home to the comfort and familiarity of Jerusalem. In a time when Paul was going to be very assuredly facing death on a regular basis, he needed someone he could count on.
However, Barnabas was also right about John Mark. He saw in his nephew a potential that was deeper than what blood relation can reveal. In this young man, Barnabas saw someone who loved the Lord and could be a valuable vessel. Every young man is a knucklehead, some more than others. But what each one needs is a godly man or two to take him under his wing and disciple him. To encourage him. To strengthen him and enable him to embrace his role as a leader.
in the end, Barnabas was vindicated. Even though we never hear about him again in the pages of Scripture, we do hear about Mark again, from none other than Paul
Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.
Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.
Verse 40
After Barnabas and Mark departed for Cyprus, Paul and Silas received the recommendation of the Church at Antioch and departed on Paul’s Second Missionary Journey, which began in Syria and Cilicia and continued on through Galatia and eventually to Macedonia.
the purpose was to strengthen and encourage the churches that were planted there on the first journey
What to do when men fail?
What to do when men fail?
We’ve all seen it happen. A prominent leader falls due to sin and in that act or actions he loses the respect of his admirers and followers. He may lose his career, ministry, influence, freedom, and even his family. His reputation is forever tainted. His books are burned, his speaking engagements are cancelled, his reputation is blackballed, his video content is scrubbed, and all association with him is whitewashed so that hopefully no one will remember that we used to endorse him.
The reformed branch of Christianity witnessed this happen once again about a year ago. I won’t mention his name because he has repented and is seeking reconciliation with his church and his wife, but this man is well-known. He fell and he fell hard, and all of the reactionary measures I just mentioned happened to him. And I’ve seen it over and over again, sadly. It’s sad that men (and women) so easily allow themselves to be tempted by the pleasures of this world, but it’s also sad how others who are just as easily enticed by other things will throw stones. We all live in glass houses, especially in the modern information age, where a person’s reputation can be destroyed in a matter of minutes.
The Paul in us feels justified in holding people accountable, and sometimes that needs to happen. Not only, but especially when there is a pattern of sin that is not accompanied by repentance. We are never supposed to ignore or excuse sin. Sin is transgression of the law, but who’s law? It’s God’s law, and only He has the authority to render judgment in such violations of His law. So while we must guard against sin, flee from sin, and repent of sin when we transgress, we are not given the authority to condemn a person.
The Barnabas in us feels the need to forgive and give someone another chance. Remember, he was known for being an encourager. And while this trait can also be a negative, because we may be prone to overlook things that should be addressed, remember what love is. According to 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
A common example people often point to when advocating for forgiveness is the infamous failure of King David. We’re all familiar with his story: a man after God’s own heart and anointed by God to be the king and spiritual leader of Israel, shirked his duty and stayed home from war. He pursued another man’s wife, was improper with her, and to cover it up, had her husband murdered. But in that account, we have a clear example of David’s repentance. He is not just sorry he got caught and punished, but he declares “against thee and thee only have I sinned!” as a clear understanding acknowledgement that his sin is first and foremost against Almighty God. If he were alive today, we would not be so quick to accept his contributions to the Kingdom, yet we hold dear the Psalms that he wrote.
But there are others that we may forget about.
Consider David’s son, Solomon. He started so well, serving the Lord with a passion that was unmatched in his day. He spared no expense to construct the temple of God, not to elevate himself but because he believed that God deserved the very best that man could offer. He served the Lord faithfully for many years, and the Lord granted him the gifts of unparalleled wisdom and wealth. But his money and influence brought unhealthy associations and he soon allowed himself to be seduced by the daughters of pagans, who then seduced him to follow their pagan gods. 1,000 wives and concubines later, his legacy and kingdom was nearly destroyed and he declared “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!” He started so well and ended so poorly, but yet we celebrate his contributions to our religion and relationship with the Lord even today because he wrote 3 books of the Old Testament: Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes.
But let us also not forget about Noah. We are introduced to him in Genesis 6:8 “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” We know his story, how the Lord used him to build an ark in which the chosen animals and humans escaped the wrath of God’s judgment upon the earth. Through Noah, God refilled the earth with mankind. But the last thing we know about Noah is found in Genesis 9:21 “He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent.” Here was a righteous man, but his last recorded deed was getting drunk and passing out naked. Let that happen to one of us and see how quickly our reputation is destroyed. Repeatedly in Scripture, drunkenness is called a sin and I think we all can understand why. In fact, any many who seeks to be a leader in the church must not be a man “given to much wine.” You cannot be a drunk and an elder or deacon in the church. So how harshly does the Scripture judge Noah for it? Other than references to the sin that existed in Noah’s day prior to the flood, the New Testament only mentions him one time, and that is in Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
He is remembered by the Holy Spirit for his faithfulness, not his sin.
It is okay to feel hurt, angry, betrayed, saddened, confused, and violated when those that we trust and respect fall from grace. This is how Paul felt, even though he was John Mark’s leader, he was still abandoned by someone he trusted. But let us remember that God sees more than man’s actions, He looks on the heart. He knows the entire story; He knows how it ends and He knows everything in between. And it may be that a decade or two in the future, the person who you wrote off as unredeemable becomes very useful to you in the ministry.
Finally, if you have sinned grievously against God, there is hope. There is hope for the helpless, rest for the weary, and love for the broken heart. There is grace and forgiveness, mercy and healing! Even if man writes you off and is done with you, God still has a plan to heal and use you, so cry out to Jesus!
